The Water Tribe Warriors
by mintography
Summary: A/U: Set at the beginning of the 100-year war, Korra pretends to be a man and takes the place of her father as a warrior under Captain Noatak's command. What will she do when she falls in love with the Captain? Inspired by the Chinese legend Mulan. Starts out short but gets longer and better.
1. Mythology

**Chapter 1: Mythology**

**A/N: This story is somewhat based on Mulan set in the Avatar world, at the beginning of the 100 year war. Korra is not the Avatar but she is a powerful waterbender. Noatak is not Amon, but he is a Captain for the Water Twibe Warriors-a joint force between the North and the South. **

Long ago, both the Southern and Northern Water Tribe populations thrived. But when the Fire Nation began their war, draft notices were sent to each water tribe family. It didn't matter if it was the husband or the son, or if they were waterbenders or not, if they were of fighting age, they would undergo training to become water tribe warriors.

In a small village in the Southern Water Tribe, a man named Tonraq received his draft notice: 'The Chief orders that each family must send one male to the Water Tribe Warriors by the end of two weeks.' Unfortunately, Tonraq had no sons and he had a limp on his left leg from a previous war injury. When his daughter Korra heard the news, she was furious because her father had fought for their nation before. She tried convincing him to not go but disobeying the chiefs orders was punishable by death and deep down she knew that if her father was sent to war, he would not be coming back. Within the next two weeks, Korra practiced day and night on her waterbending training, her parents thought she was using it as a release from stress but Korra was secretly planning to take her father's place.

On the night before the draft, Korra wrote a letter to her parents expressing her intentions to take the place of her father and to prove herself to her family and ancestors. She requested that her parents do not follow her and do not reveal her secret. While her parents were deep asleep, Korra dressed as a man in her father's warrior armor and took off with her polar bear dog Naga to report for the draft.

To the world, she was now known as Korran, son of Tonraq of the Southern Water Tribe, the son who was hidden from the world. Each reporting man was assigned to a unit and Korra was assigned to Captain Noatak. Captain Noatak was originally from the north but now stationed in the south to assemble his unit. He was a calm, calculating, and an elite waterbender, not to mention quite the handsome fellow too. The first week of training was brutal, Korra had never undergone such intensive physical and waterbending training but she was determined to not give up. She trained extra hard at night while others were asleep, being careful not to reveal her true identity as a woman and took extra precautions to bathe late in the night.

Soon, she exceeded her fellow peers and passed the Water Tribe Warrior test with flying colors. Captain Noatak was so impressed with Korran, that he challenged _him_ to a friendly water bending spar. Korra declined politely but under peer pressure from her fellow warriors, she finally accepted under the conditions that it cannot be a close range spar. In preparation for their friendly spar, Korra made sure her under bindings were wrapped very tight and she wore her thickest armors to conceal her feminine body parts. Captain Noatak was confused as to why Korran would dress so heavily for a friendly water bending spar but he did not question _his_ decision.


	2. Illusions

**Chapter 2: Illusion**

Korran surprised _his _fellow warriors and won the sparring match against Captain Noatak. Even more so, she surprised herself, Noatak was strong and moved with such vigor that it enticed her, attracted her but she pushed those thoughts aside. She was not going to risk getting her cover blown by having feelings for her superior. Her goal was to be the best warrior, to defend her nation, and to bring honor to her family.

During their spar, Noatak had sensed something different about Korran but he just could not pinpoint what it was. The way _he_ moved with such fluidity and grace, it was almost as if Korran's bending resembled a dance. Though _he_had a frame smaller than average men, _he _was powerful. There was something mysterious about Korran, something he dare say, attracted him to_him. _He brushed the thought aside, he just admired Korran as a worthy opponent, a worthy fighter, who reminded him of himself, yes that was all.

It was time for Noatak's unit to travel back to the Northern Water Tribe to fight against the Fire Nation. His men stockpiled food, weapons, and supplies and began their journey to travel the treacherous seas. The weeks following their friendly spar, Noatak and Korran became close, inseparable brothers from different mothers. They helped trained the unit daily and occasionally practiced their waterbending together. They were an unstoppable team.

One night under the full moon, Noatak and Korran shared stories of their families over tea and paisho. "I wish I had a sister, then maybe you could marry her." Noatak smiled. "Then we'd be brothers through marriage."

Korra blushed. "I'm sure we'd make a great family." _He _responded. As much as she was trying to suppress her feelings, she was falling for the Captain but given the circumstances, it was too risky to reveal her true identity. "And if I was a _woman_, I'd be honored to be your wife." _He _laughed it off hoping Noatak took it as a joke but deep down inside, Korra meant what she said, though it would have to happen in a different lifetime.

Perhaps the moon spirit La heard Korra's wish or Noatak had spent too many days off land, he dreamt that Korran was actually a beautiful woman in disguise and he really did fall in love with _her_. He woke up with his heart skipping a few beats, no it could not be. It was all an illusion; Korran was a noble warrior, _he_ will always be his good brother from another mother and nothing more. Why would Korran even impersonate a man, which by itself was already punishable by death according to Water Tribe laws. Noatak questioned the what if, the seemingly impossible what if Korran was a woman, but he decided it was best to ignore his inner thoughts, as it was all just an illusion stemming from his dreams.

**A/N: I know this chapter was a bit short but the next chapter is going to be a lot longer. **


	3. Secrets

**Chapter 3: Secrets**

They had been at sea for a few weeks and their ship was running out of food. Fortunately, they were near Makapu Village, a small port city in the northwestern part of the Earth Kingdom. Since they were ahead of schedule, Captain Noatak decided to reward his fellow warriors and give them a day off to explore the city. As they docked in the early morning, Noatak knocked on Korran's door to see if_he_ wanted to explore the city with him but to his surprise, Korran locked himself in and declined on the basis that _he _wasn't feeling too well. The truth was, Korra missed dressing as a woman and today would finally be the day where she could sneak out and be herself in a town of strangers.

While in her room, she untied her wolf tail letting her hair fall past her shoulders. Glancing at her reflection, she missed having her bangs parted into two sections. She didn't pack any female clothing other than her wrappings but she figured she could buy a dress in town. When everyone left the ship except for a few guards, she snuck out through her window and waterbent herself on to shore, making sure no one caught sight of her. After drying herself, she looked for a clothing boutique, carefully avoiding her fellow warriors who were walking about.

A sweet floral aroma greeted her as she stepped into Ming's Earth Kingdom Fashion Boutique. The shop owner, a short middle-aged lady, approached Korra and eyed her from head to toe shaking her head with a heavy sigh. "No. No. No. A woman should never dress like this. I know just the perfect dress and accessories for you." She grabbed Korra's hand and led her to the back. By the time Korra left the shop an hour later, she was dressed in a pink and gold silky traditional Earth Kingdom _hanfu_, her hair was styled in an updo with accessories, her face radiant with makeup enhancing her natural beauty, and she also had 30 less yuans—not that she complained. Korra was practically unrecognizable and she could now explore town freely without the risk of exposing her identities blending in with local women. Just to be safe, she took out her secret handkerchief and covered the bottom half of her face. The handkerchief was a gift from her mother that reminded her of home because of her embroidered clan symbol on a lower corner.

To finally walk about town as her true self was relaxing. Korra was so busy enjoying the sights of busy merchants, food stands, and random street performances that she did not pay attention to where she was going and accidently walked into Captain Noatak's chest. Embarrassed, she apologized profusely and hoped that he did not recognize her. She gave a quick Earth Kingdom curtsey, turned around and tried to walk away fast.

Surprised that she was not swarming at him like other Earth Kingdom girls, Noatak went after her. "Wait! Miss! That wasn't your fault. I'm so sorry I should've been paying attention to where I was going." He finally caught up to her and stood in front of her. "Did I hurt you?" He looked at her with concerned eyes. "Perhaps, I can make it up to you through lunch."

As much as Korra did not want to have lunch with the Captain, she also really wanted to at the same time. Sure, she's had lunch with him plenty of times before but only as Korran. It seemed like he really did not recognize her so she accepted his offer. They sat down at a noodle shop, ordered a few dishes, and began conversing.

"Where are my manners, I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Noatak, Captain of the Water Tribe Warriors." He smiled and looked into her eyes. Blue, they were bright blue eyes similar to Korran's. "And, you are…?"

She hadn't thought that far so she used the first name that popped in her head. "I'm Kyona." Her grandmother's name. She caught his gaze and quickly looked away.

"Again, I'm sorry about earlier, Kyona." Noticing she still had her handkerchief covering her face and curious of how she really looked. "Are you really going to eat with your handkerchief on?"

Trying to stay calm, Korra nodded, "I have a really bad scar, I'm not comfortable showing it in public." She wondered if he saw through her disguise.

"You're kidding me, you look beautiful." Noatak smiled. "At least from what I can see—I mean the top part of your face—I mean your eyes, your eyes are beautiful." A gush of red filled his cheeks, "…so where are you from?"

"Earth Kingdom."

"You're kidding? With eyes like that, I could've sworn you were water tribe."

Korra laughed nervously and shook her head. Their dishes arrived and Korra was relieved, she wasn't sure how long she could hold this façade but it seemed like Noatak was buying it.

There was something about this girl that intrigued Noatak, she seemed familiar, yet she wasn't, but she sent butterflies fluttering in his stomach. After finishing their dishes, he accidently let out a burp. They both laughed it off until she let out a louder burp that surprised him. She wanted to kick herself but he just laughed harder, "I like girls who don't hold back. You're different, if it were other girls, they'd just be very embarrassed." They continued to converse and laugh. "How about some dessert Kyona? I heard this town is famous for egg custard tarts." He placed a few yuans on the table and escorted her out the restaurant. "If you don't mind… perhaps you can accompany me for the rest of the day… I'm leaving tomorrow." She agreed, it was like a dream come true even if that dream only lasted for less than a day.

They continued to explore town together throughout the afternoon and stopped by Makapu's famous egg custard tart shop. The sun began setting and they found themselves around a beautiful fountain. The caretakers were beginning to light up the street lamps as they sat down on a nearby bench.

"I wish I had more time to spend with you." Noatak turned to her and smiled. "But I have a war to fight. I'm not even sure if I'll ever see you again."

Oh I'm sure you will, Korra thought to herself, I'm a lot closer than you think. "If we were meant to be, then I'm sure destiny will find someway to bring us together." She returned his gaze and smiled with her eyes.

They leaned towards each other but before she could react, he slowly closed his eyes, pulled away her handkerchief and kissed her. Initially shocked, she closed her eyes and returned the kiss. For a few moments, it was as if time was frozen and it was indeed a dream come true for her. They slowly pulled away and he noticed her face for the first time. He placed his hand on her cheek and stared at her. "You don't have any scars, you're beautiful." He was mesmerized by her.

She smiled at his complement before realizing what happened and remember her purpose pretending to be a man. She looked back at him one last time as Kyona, "I—I cant… I—I have to go." She got up and ran off towards the docks as fast as she could.

Noatak sat there in shock unsure of what happened, still holding her handkerchief. He unwrapped it to admire the embroidery and recognized the symbol; it was clan symbol from the Southern Water Tribe. She was definitely not Earth Kingdom, but he wondered why would a Southern Water Tribe girl be this far from home. He closed his eyes, reminiscing her beauty; she almost looked like the female version of Korran from his dreams. He felt a bit heart broken since he doubted that he would ever see her again especially since he was departing that night. He gave the handkerchief one last look before carefully folding it up, kissing it, and tucking it into his pocket. It was already dark and he wondered if Korran felt any better, boy did he have so much to tell _him_. Before heading back to his ship, he picked up egg custard tarts and noodle soups for Korran and himself.

Korra jumped into the water making sure to conceal her movements and when the coast was clear, she waterbent herself back into her room through an open window. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why did she even pretend to be sick when she could have just gone out with the guys earlier. Curse that urge to dress up as a girl again, it was such a risky thing to do. She dried herself and looked into the mirror one last time. Indeed, she was beautiful today but it was probably the last time she'd ever dress like this. She took off her makeup, undid her hair, and began changing back into her warrior gear. She folded the _hanfu_ neatly, wrapped her hair accessories, and then stored them in the secret compartment in her room.

As she was tidying up, she heard a knock on the door. It was Noatak. "Hey Korran, I brought you some food! Are you feeling better?" She quickly glanced at her reflection and tied up her hair into the traditional warrior's wolf tail. He knocks again. "Korran, are you okay? You wouldn't believe what happened today, I have so much to tell you!"

Korran opened the door slowy and recognized the sweet whiff of egg custard tarts. Noatak walked in and looked at _him _with a cocked brow. "You know, I'll never understand why you always have so much heavy armor on, I mean you're sick. You shouldn't be carrying that much extra weight."

"It keeps me warm. I guess I'm comfortable in my armor." Korran tried to act as normal as possible.

They sat down, Noatak took out the noodle soup and egg tarts for them to enjoy, and he recounted his day with Kyona. Korran couldn't help but feel happy inside, she secretly wished their time together could've lasted longer but she was grateful that the spirits even granted a day like this for her.

"I kissed her… It was the greatest feeling ever. I had such a great connection with her." But his smile quickly turned into a frown. "Unfortunately, she ran off." He pulled out her handkerchief. "All I have of her is this." He slowly unfolded it. "She's from the Southern Water Tribe. Korran, do you know which clan this is?"

_His _eyes widened, all he could do was shake his head. Spirits, she forgot her handkerchief, the only physical reminder that she had of her family and now it was in his hands.

"You know, the funny thing is. She had the same eyes as you Korran." Korran gulped but Noatak continued. "If I hadn't known any better, I would have thought you had a long lost sibling or something but then I remembered you telling me that you're an only child." Korran laughed nervously and nodded. "What confuses me is why is she here in the Earth Kingdom so far away from home?" Noatak was too infatuated to notice Korran's expressions. It's not like Korra could feel jealous because technically the girl that Noatak was describing was her. She was tempted to just throw herself on to him and kiss him but she held back remembering that she was Korran. "I wish I could see her again." Noatak pouted.

_He_ placed _his_ hand on Noatak's shoulder. "I'm sure if you two were meant to be, destiny will find a way to bring you two back together." Korran comforted him and herself deep down.

"You're right." Noatak looked at him. "As soon as the war is over, I'm going to find her." He was determined. "I have her handkerchief, I can find out what clan she's from."

She's a lot closer than you think, Korran thought. "I'll help you." The secrets that Korran was hiding from Noatak were agonizing. If it were a different lifetime, they would've been together by now but perhaps she could find a way, somehow.

**Notes: **  
**-Makapu Village is near present day Republic City, it sits near a volcano. It's the village where Aang met Aunt Wu.**  
**-****_Hanfu_**** is a traditional Chinese dress from the Shang dynasty**  
**-Korra's hanfu is inspired by the TVB drama "House of Vengeance and Harmony" - particularly with the character 利在山****.**  
**-Egg custard tarts are my favorite Chinese pastry.**


	4. Family

**Chapter 4: Family**

Captain Noatak and his crew arrived to the Northern Water Tribe a few days ahead of schedule, the city was huge—a lot bigger than the Southern Water Tribe. Over the past month at sea and through vigorous training, his men were prepared for battle. To reward his men, Noatak permitted them to visit extended family for two full days and regroup by the morning of the third day. Those who didn't have family opted to explore the icy city. Since Korran claimed to not have family from the north—technically, she did had a few cousins, but she was not about to risk her identity again—Noatak extended his invitation to visit his mother in which Korran gladly accepted.

His mother lived in a village on the outskirts of the city. By foot, it would have taken hours but fortunately, with Naga, they cut the time to under an hour. Korra never explored this part of the Northern Water Tribe so she took in as many sights along the way as she could while occasionally turning _his_ head back to follow Noatak's directions. Korran pulled Naga to a stop as they arrived at a small village with many scattered yurts.

"Let's walk the rest of the way." Noatak jumped off Naga and Korran followed. They strode through the icy path between yurts with Korran walking Naga. Men and women came out to greet Captain Noatak and children stared at the snowy polar bear dog in awe. They stopped in front of modest yurt and Noatak led Korran to a nearby area where Naga could lay and stretch out.

A woman in her 60s came out; she must've heard the noise from Naga, Korra thought. Her eyes glistened at the sight of her son and a smile lit up her face. "Noa…?"

"Ma!" Noatak ran up to his mother and embraced her. "I missed you a lot."

The heartwarming scene made Korra realize how much she missed her own parents. Tears gathered on the edge of her eyes and turned to wipe them off before anyone could notice. Noatak let go of his hug and turned around to pull Korran closer. "Ma, this is Korran from the Southern Water Tribe, he's my top warrior and he's like a brother to me."

Korran bowed in respect and smiled. Noatak's mother eyed him from head to toe, an eyebrow cocked up before she returned the smile. "Call me Mama Ahnah, come in it's cold outside." She signaled them to follow.

After stepping inside, Ahnah turned to them again, "How are you able to leave your post? Won't you get in trouble for this?"

"Don't worry Ma, we arrived to the Northern Water Tribe a few days early, besides I'm a captain now, I call the shots." He smiled. "Has Tarrlok come back to visit recently?"

Korran remembered Noatak speaking of his younger brother Tarrlok, who was also a Water Tribe Captain. Korran glanced around the walls of the yurt and noticed a particular section decorated with children's art. It must've been Noatak and Tarrlok's work from their childhood. Very cute, she thought.

"He was back not too long ago but his unit is stationed near the eastern part of the Earth Kingdom." Ahnah paused and her eyes looked away. "I worry about you two so much—ever since your father passed away, and you two joined the warriors, it hasn't been the same here.

Korran looked up, _he_ had never heard about Noatak mention about his father. She knew Noatak came from a noble warrior family and assumed that his father was a retired warrior.

"Ma… he's at a better place now." Korran could tell the pain in Noatak's eyes that he missed his father dearly. Noatak turned to Korran with a forced smile, "Anyways, we'll be staying here for a few days, you can sleep on Tarrlok's bed—we share the same room." Korra's eyes widened a little and a blush crept on to her cheeks. 'Same room?' She thought to herself. "As for clothes, Tarrlok took all of his stuff with him but I have a few sets here, I'll lend you some of mine. We're like brothers anyway." Korra gulped, 'his clothes too…' she wasn't sure how to respond.

A thank you managed to come out of Korran's mouth as he stood there slightly uncomfortable. She gulped. The thought of sharing a room with Noatak brought butterflies to her insides. She supposed she could wear extra layers to conceal her true identity but it would be Noatak's clothes. She slowly breathed in a deep breath through her nostrils. Share a room, share his clothes, the idea was slowly sinking in.

From her first glance, Ahnah noticed that Korran was different. She noticed _his_ rising discomfort after Noatak's offer. She suspected Korran was impersonating a man but for what reasons she did not know. "Noa, I wasn't expecting you to come home, could you please go out and pick up whale seal meat and other food, for our dinner tonight? I will make an unforgettable Northern Water Tribe dinner for our guest tonight." She turned and smiled at Korran.

"Of course Ma, Korran would you like to come with me?" Noatak smiled at Korran.

Before Korran could respond, Ahnah cut in, "_He's_ our guest Noa and besides, it'll give me sometime to get to know your friend better." Ahnah grinned.

As soon as Noatak left and his footsteps were out of range, Ahnah sat down at the table in the middle of the yurt pouring tea into two cups. "Korran, come here and have some tea." Korran obliged and sat in the seat next to her. Ahnah looked at _him_ and smiled. "You may be able to fool everyone else, but I can tell you're a woman."

Korra's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. I just don't understand why a woman would impersonate a man, let alone a warrior. If you were discovered, you'd be sentenced to death." The elderly woman looked at her with motherly concern.

Korra returned the gaze, tears once again began forming at the corner of her eyes. "I—" She glanced back at her teacup and back at Ahnah. "Mama Ahnah, can you promise me to never tell anyone." Korra's eyes pleaded.

"You have my word, Korran. I know you have your reasons."

"My real name is Korra. I'm from a small village in the Southern Water Tribe. I… I took the place of my father in the draft. I had no choice; my father had defended our nations in a previous war and… and he came home with a limp. I have no brothers and I didn't want him to go back because I… I don't think he would come back." Tears began rolling down her cheeks, her voice broken. "The night before he had to report, I stole my father's warrior gear and I ran off in his place." It was the first time she was able to tell her true story to another human being and it felt liberating. "I… I know the risks involved by doing this but I didn't know how else I could help my family." She looked up at Ahnah.

"Oh my poor child." Ahnah pulled Korra into a motherly embrace. "You've done such a noble act for your family, but it's a risky thing." At that point, Korra broke down completely crying. She had missed her family so much and buried so many secrets of her identity deep inside of her. "How did you get through training with my son and all this time, how were you able to hide your true identity?"

"I… trained extra hard, sometimes at night when no one was around. I had to keep up or risk being kicked off." She slowly let go of the hug. "Noatak almost found out about my true identity, a few times…" She thought of their date in Makapu. "but fortunately he didn't." She wiped away her tears. "Mama Ahnah, please don't tell him."

"Your secret is safe with me, Korra." Ahnah sighed. "Such a noble act, if you were my daughter, I'd be so proud of you. Does Noatak really not know?"

"I'm pretty sure he hasn't figured it out, I mean we even kissed—" Before Korra realized that she spoke before thinking, Ahnah's eyes widened.

"How? But you're pretending to be a man?" Ahnah was shocked and a tinged of anger was in her voice.

"No, no!" Korra quickly responded. "Not when I was Korran." Korra told Ahnah her the time when their unit docked in Makapu to restock food, and she dressed as an Earth Kingdom woman then went date with Noatak . Ahnah calmed down and listened intently like a young girl listening to romantic stories. "… and now he has my handkerchief with my family symbol."

"That was so sweet." Ahnah poured more tea for Korra, her eyes beaming with excitement. "So, let me get this straight, you're in love with my son? You two have kissed, but he doesn't know it's you and you can't tell him who you really are because if your identity comes out, you'll be sentenced to death." Korra nodded. "It's as if you two are straight out of an epic romance tale, like the Tale of Two Lovers!"

"I mean he's confident, he's strong, he's caring, he's a talented waterbender, he's a great leader, he's just amazing but sadly, he only thinks of me as a brother." Korra's face pouted. "I really want to tell him who I really am, but I'm not sure how he would take it and there's no point, it's not going to work out in this lifetime."

"You're very strong and brave Korra, no woman has ever done what you've done. But what happens when he tries to look for you after the war?" Ahnah questioned. "He's going to trace the family symbol back to you."

"I don't know… I honestly haven't thought that far."

"Perhaps, you should tell him the truth." Ahnah sipped her tea. "It seems as if my son is also in love with you and he if knows the truth, I know he will do whatever he can to protect you. Plus, it'd be great for me to finally have a daughter." She chuckled.

A gleam of hope flashed in front of Korra's eyes. "Really? You really think so Mama Ahnah?" Korra couldn't believe that Mama Ahnah hinted that she would eventually marry Noatak, she felt even more giddy.

Ahnah smiled. "I know so." Korra felt relieved to finally find a confidant that she could trust. The two women heard footsteps approach the yurt. "Quick, clean up yourself, Noa's back." Korra quickly checked her face to see if there any more tears to wipe or puffiness around her eyes as Noatak walked in carrying ingredients for their dinner.

"I'm home." Noatak dropped off the ingredients in the kitchen. Korra grinned, she could imagine herself hearing that everyday if she were to marry Noatak. Ahnah got up, winked at Korra and entered the kitchen. "So what'd you both talk about while I was gone?"

"Nothing much, just Mama Ahnah getting to know me more and our adventures at sea together." Korran continued to sip _his _tea. "Your mother is so sweet. It makes me miss my family back in the South."

"So Noatak, Korran tells me you've met a girl in the Earth Kingdom, why don't you come help me prepare dinner and tell me more." Mama Ahnah yelled from the kitchen as Noatak's face flushed. Korran just smiled.

_**Notes:**_  
_**Ahnah is Inuit for wise woman. **_


	5. Lost

**A/N: I guess Amorra week is gonna be a lot longer for me which is all good. This chapter has lots of sad feels but next chapter will be lighter hopefully, I was struggled on this theme for a bit since I didn't know how to convey lost. I'm pretty sure this fanfic will span more than the 7 themes of Amorra week. **

**Chapter 5: Lost**

After dinner, Mama Ahnah pulled Noatak away to help clean dishes giving an opportunity for Korra to bathe and freshen up herself in private. It felt great to finally be able to take a hot bath without the worry of someone walking in and discovering her secret. After changing into Noatak's clothes, his aroma surrounded her senses and drove her to edge. She had never smelled a man so close despite being around men in her unit constantly-they usually smelled quite rotten, but Noatak's aroma was enticing and comforting. She had to remind herself that she was Korran and not Korra, she couldn't just suddenly tackle him at the first sight after leaving the bathe house. His clothes were loose on her small frame but it helped conceal her womanly assets well.

Korran settled onto Tarrlok's bed admiring the décor in the brothers' bedroom with a water tribe history book. Shortly after, Noatak walked in after helping his mother with kitchen duties looking slightly embarrassed. He grabbed a set of clothes from his wardrobe and turned to Korran, "Well, that was embarrassing. My mother wants grandchildren already but I don't even know if I'll be able to find her after this whole war."

"I'm confident you will and who knows, maybe she'll seek you out since she does know you are a Captain of our Water Tribe Warriors." Korran smirked while looking up from the history book.

Korran was beginning to fall asleep but _he _insisted on staying up to wait for Noatak to finish his bath. _He _wanted to find out more about his father and his childhood.

Noatak finally came back and plopped onto his bed. "Good night Korran!"

"Wait- I want to ask you something." Korran turned over to face Noatak across the room. "You've been a great brother to me over the last few months and it makes me happy because I never really had anyone like you in my life… what happened to your father?" _He _looked at him with pleading eyes. "It's okay if you don't want to tell me but it pains me to see the hurt in your eyes when your mother mentioned him earlier today."

Noatak closed his eyes and took a deep breath. At first, he seemed reluctant but after a few moments, he turned and faced Korran. "He passed away last year right before I was promoted to Captain." He took another deep breath. "Our family lost him to the beginning of the war. My father was General Yakone."

"General Yakone? You mean the great General Yakone who defended the Mo Ce Sea against the Northern Raiders?" Korran gasped. _He_ knew the result of that battle. News had spread to both polar regions within weeks and everyone was mourning over a great lost. She was astonished that General Yakone was Noatak's father.

"Yes… that was the battle." There was silence for a few moments. "I wish I was there with him, but I was stationed on the eastern coast of the Earth Kingdom. My brother's unit was on their way to help my father, but it was too late, the battle was already lost... they had to change course or be in risk of losing their men as well."

_He_ could tell Noatak was beginning to tear up. "I'm so sorry Noatak."

"You know, I just wish I could have done something. I wish I was in his unit then I could have help him defend the area. I just—" His voice beginning to crack.

"It's not your fault."

"It is… if I had pushed myself harder, I would've been promoted sooner, and I would've been able to fight along side with him." He closed his eyes to prevent tears from streaming down. "If I was there, maybe he wouldn't have… died."

"But if you were there…" Korran paused to think of how to phrase his words. "You might never be here today. I wouldn't have met you and you wouldn't have met Kyona."

"I could've at least helped my father. I regret not being able to help him." Noatak blinked his tears away. "You are right about the other part… I wouldn't have been able to meet a great brother like you."

"There was nothing you could have done… I know that feeling of wanting to help your own father but it's not your fault. I'm sure he is very proud of what you have done over this past year." Korra contemplated whether she should reveal the truth. "I know the feeling of trying to help your own father and trying to bring honor to your family." _He _closed her eyes and breathed in slowly. "My father was suppose to be the one answering the draft, but the night before the report, I ran away to take his place."

"You did…?" Noatak sent a confused look at Korran. "But why wouldn't your father let you answer the draft?"

"Because I'm his only son." Korra decided that it wasn't the time to reveal the truth. "He didn't want to lose me but I didn't want to lose him either. If he were to report to the draft, I will never see him again… He lost his ability to walk properly in a previous battle." Deep inside, she wished she could tell him more but for now that would be it.

"It's seems as if both our families has lost something to the war already." Noatak sighed. "I hope we won't have to lose anything else."

"I hope so too…" Korran turned to face the wall, back towards Noatak and said under _his _breath, "I don't want to lose you either..." They both fell into deep sleep shortly after. That night, Noatak had another dream about Korran as a woman but Korra's dreams were not as pleasant, they were about the terrors of war.


	6. Bittersweet

_A/N: Sorry for the delay in update! Thank you all so much for the kind reviews. Going to try to do this once a week but been too busy the last few weeks with work and other things. The original theme for this was 1920 but it was so challenging to figure out how to fit that in this story. This chapter was pretty bittersweet with lots of feels! Still rated T. Please enjoy & review! Thanks!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Korra._

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**Chapter 6: Bittersweet**

In the early hours of the morning, Korra woke up screaming. She sat up, breathing heavily, sweat beads dripping down her forehead, hand clutching over her heart. Noatak woke up at _his_ scream, which in his deep sleep, vaguely sounded like a girl. He shifted under his pelts and turned over to see if Korran was okay. Despite asking _him_ a few times to share _his _nightmares, Korran declined and turned _his _back towards Noatak. Tears streamed down Korra's cheeks as she recounted the nightmare. Perhaps it was her own fears tugging at her subconscious or the stress from knowing their unit will be in battle soon. In her dreams, Fire Nation ships surrounded her unit destroying everything, she was ostracized due to her true identity but worse of all, Noatak was captured and tortured. Even though it was a dream, her heart still ached. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the ambient sounds, her own breathing, his breathing, howling in the distance.

"I had a dream about her again." Noatak broke the silence, still facing _him_. "I know it's weird, but I feel like she's close by." He looked up to the ceiling and smiled. "Do you think she is?"

Silence again. Korran pretended to be asleep. Of course she was close but given the circumstances and as much as it pained her, she couldn't tell him the truth.

She woke up feeling rested the next morning. Noatak had already fixed his bed and was nowhere in sight. She took a slow breath and caught a whiff of Mama Ahnah conjuring up a tasty breakfast. It tickled her senses and pushed her out of bed towards the kitchen. She could tell it was the aroma of seaweed noodles, her favorite. As she stepped into the kitchen, she was surprised to see Noatak cooking instead of Ahnah. She quickly stepped to the side, away from the entrance and fixed her wolf tail before entering again. "Good morning Captain, where's Mama Ahnah?"

"Hey there! You're finally up!" Noatak gave _him_ a smile and continued to cook the noodles. "Captain?" He laughed. "You know you can always call me Noatak and my mother went out with her friends, they always have morning walks and breakfast together."

Korran just nodded. She was more surprised that Noatak knew how to cook, a skill that he never used during sea, then again they had a cook for their ship. "I didn't know you cooked." _He_ slightly blushed at the thought; a man who can cook was perfect, even more perfect was it happened to be Noatak. Korran helped him gather two plates and set them onto the table as Noatak finished mixing the last ingredients into the noodle.

"Seaweed noodles with pickled sea prunes and glazed tiger seal meat." Noatak portioned out the noodles onto the plates before sitting next to Korran. "A mix of sweet and sour."

Korran took a bite out of _his_ meal, _his_ eyes lit up as _he_ savored the taste of sweet and sour seaweed noodles. Still with _his _mouth full, "This is really good! Where'd you learn how to cook so well?" Finally swallowing, "How come you never make this on the ship?!"

Noatak chuckled. "I learn it from my mother and if I made this on our ship, do you know how many of our men will be swarming all over to gobble it up? I mean Hasook the cook doesn't exactly make the best meals." They both broke out in laughter. "Besides, Noatak the cook doesn't sound as fierce as Captain Noatak."

It was a great start to a day as they continued to share their breakfast together. Both did not mention the nightmares and dreams that invaded their sleep the night before, though for some reason Noatak found himself oddly attracted to Korran as the day progressed. He reasoned that he was just missing Kyona. As for Korra, deep down she was already imagining waking up to daily breakfast cooked by Noatak.

They spent the rest of the day exploring the outskirts of Noatak's small village with Naga. Noatak sat behind Korran, bodies nearly touching. Korran felt a tingle down _his_ spine as _his _temperature rose from Noatak's touch. Even the slightest touch from a brush of a hand sent electricity flying through her nerves. The effects were similar on Noatak, who at one point began to question his own feelings towards Korran, but assured himself that it was only brotherly love. Several times, Korran's wolf tail whipped Noatak as _he_ turned around to talk with him. Neither wanted to acknowledge the tension building between them, perhaps the tension was bound to happen the more they spend time with each other.

By evening, they came home to help Mama Ahnah prepare their last home cooked meal. Mama Ahnah could tell that Korra did not reveal her secret yet but she could also tell the young lady dressed as a man was smittened with her son.

After dinner, Noatak excused himself by volunteering to feed and groom Naga while Korran helped Mama Ahnah with the dishes. Noatak needed some private time to sort through his thoughts. The chilly air surrounded them as he combed through Naga's hair. "Naga, Korran can't possibly be a woman can _he_?" Naga wagged her tail. "I mean you should know because you've been with _him_ your whole life, right?" Naga just continued to wag her tail as she gobbled up the tiger seal jerky in front of her. "Who am I kidding, I'm talking to a polar bear dog and no way Korran's a woman, that's a death sentence right there." He sighed as he continued to groom Naga reminiscing his dreams and encounter with Kyona.

Immersed in his own thoughts, Noatak did not notice Korran joining him. "Thanks for taking care of Noatak!" Naga became even more excited and began licking Korran. "Calm down girl." _He _turned to Noatak who was recovering from his deep thoughts. "Something on your mind?"

Noatak just smiled and shook his head. He was tempted to ask _him_ but perhaps it wasn't a good idea. It could entirely change the dynamics between their relationship making it truly awkward if he was wrong.

"Her saddle." Korran noticed Naga's saddle was still strapped on her back. "We must have forgotten to take it off earlier." They both approached Naga from each side and slowly unbuckled the fasteners. For a brief moment, their hands landed on the same knot, his hand on top of _his_. As Korran looked up, _he_ met Noatak's gaze. _He_ quickly retracted _his_ hand and looked down to continue untying the knot. _He_ let out a nervous chuckle. "I can't believe we forgot to take off her harness, she must be exhausted."

"Naga's strong, she's still pretty energetic. Ate all the tiger seal jerky I left for her." The moon spirit shined upon them, Noatak noticed Korran's eyes were sparkling bluer as usual, much like his memory of Kyona. He stepped back and placed both his hands in the air to cover Korran's mouth and _his_ forehead from a distance. Peaking through the gap between his hands, Korran really did have the exact same eyes as Kyona and now that he thought about it, they were about the same height too.

Korran noticed Noatak acting strangely and looked up to see his palms facing _him_. "What are you doing?"

"Stretching." Noatak pretended to yawn but he smirked behind his palms. An idea came to him as he walked over behind Korran, he looked up pretending to admire the moon spirit and glistening colors of the northern lights. "Beautiful isn't it?"

Korran untied the remaining knot and looked up. "Very, we don't get the lights in the South Pole."

Finding the right moment to execute his plan, Noatak pointed to the opposite direction causing Korran to turn _his_ head. "Hey look a shooting star!" With a quick movement, Noatak untied the string holding Korran's wolf tail. Even if Noatak's suspicions of Korran were not true, it would be a good plan.

Korran's hair dropped down past _his_ shoulders and _he_ quickly turned around, hair flowing flawlessly in the winter air. "What are you doing?" A tinged of red rushed to her cheeks.

Noatak's eyes widened and his jaw dropped to the ground as soon as he saw Korran turn around. _His—_no, her hair surrounded her face, she was beautiful, she was Kyona. Suspicions confirmed. "YOU! You're her!?"

Korran quickly turned away and demanded _his_ hair tie back. Panicking, she began to run. She wasn't sure why she was running away but Noatak as determined not to let her run off again, not this time.

"Wait! Come back here! We need to talk! Korran! Kyona!"

He chased after her into the snowy tundra. She bent up the snow and sent it flying at him like a blizzard but he dodged and countered all her attacks. He bent a wall of ice in front of her path to stop her, which she quickly bent away. Two elite water benders evading and counterattacking each other's attacks just like the first time that they sparred during their friendly challenge. She froze the snow around his foot into ice; he nearly tripped but bent a fluff of soft snow to break the impact. Getting up he sent a water whip her way grabbing her waist and pulling her back. Caught off guard, she spun around, hair flowing in the chilly air, and broke the whip. He saw her true face again, this time he used all his determination to catch up to to her dodging all her attacks and finally tackling her to the snowy ground.

"Wait! Korran or Kyona, please stop!" Noatak pinned her down. "Why are you running away?"

"I-" She was speechless. "Get off of me, you're heavy." A surge of feelings ached her heart.

He leaned to the side but grabbed her hand so she would not run away. Questions filled his mind. "Korran or Kyona, please don't run any more. We need to talk." He paused to gather his thoughts. "I don't want to lose you again like back at Makapu."

"Korra." She looked up to meet his gaze. "My real name is Korra. Kyona is my grandmother." A smiled beamed across their faces. "And Korran, is your fellow warrior and good brother from another mother." At least his first question was answered without him even asking.

They sat in the snow as Noatak kept admiring her, he couldn't help but smile. "You… you're a woman… but pretending to be a man, let alone a warrior… that's a one way death sentence. You know our laws will not allow any woman to go into combat. Why?"

Reminded of her family at home, she looked away, tears forming at the corner of her eyes, ready for release. "I had to." She sighed. "Remember what I told you last night about my father? That part is true and I am the only child except I couldn't take his place as a woman so the night before my father was suppose to report to the draft, I went in his place." She glanced back at him. "I'm sorry for hiding all this from you."

"Does your parents know?"

"Yes."

"They didn't try to stop you?"

"No, I left in the middle of the night."

"And that's how you came up with Korran?" He stopped to think. "Remember when you passed your warrior test and I challenged you to a friendly spar, is that why you didn't want to accept it?" Before she could even respond. "—and all those times when you pile on your armor even when you were sick, you were trying to conceal your true identity, right?"

She nodded, relieved that Noatak finally knew the truth. "Your mother already knows but if anyone else finds out, I'm going to die." She let out a heavy sigh, on one hand, she was filled with joy that she could finally stop lying to him but on the other hand, she knew he had the power to reveal her secret though she trusted he wouldn't. "I suppose we can figure out what to do from here?"

"Yea, though I'm still in quite a bit of shock." He was still processing all that happened. Noticing that she was shivering since she forgot her parka or rather one of his old parkas, he took off his own and wrapped it around her. To her surprise, he pulled her in for a long hug. She felt secure in his arms as she rested her head on his chest. They weren't sure how long they hugged but the air became colder as the night progressed. "Let's go home. It's getting really cold here. We can talk more later."

Korra paused in her tracks. "Wait… Are you going to turn me in?"

Noatak raised her brow. "Are you kidding me? After all I've gone through with you to finally discover who you really are, do you honestly think I'm going to let you die?"

He held her hand and led her back to the small village. Everyone was already in their own yurts, most likely surrounding a fire as the chilly temperatures deterred many from venturing out, they were safe to enjoy their newfound togetherness, at least for now.

As they approached their yurt, Naga stood up excitedly and licked both of them. They calmed her down and both entered the dwelling quickly to avoid any attention—not that anyone was outside to begin with.

"Noa! Korra…" Ahnah looked at them both as they entered. "I was worried sick for you both." Seeing their hands linked together, his parka on her, and her face blushing—possibly from the ice air, she put the pieces together and was at peace again. "I'll go make you two some tea." Before they had a moment alone, Ahnah popped back out from the kitchen, "Are you two hungry because I could make something now too!"

Noatak glanced at his mother and smiled. "I think we'll just have tea." His mother caught the signal and hurried back into the kitchen. He added more wood to the fire as they sat down on a bench facing it to warm up. Turning to her, still holding on to her hand, the back of his free hand grazed her cheeks. "So tell me again, why you didn't you just tell me after our date in Makapu? Do you enjoy torturing me? Because I thought I had lost you for good." He asked jokingly. "And don't forget I confided in you after that date, you knew all along!"

Mama Ahnah placed the teapot and two cups on a nearby table and excused herself to go to bed. "You know I'm an old woman, I need my rest." She smiled at them both and managed to mouth the word 'grandchildren' to Noatak while Korra wasn't looking. He rolled his eyes and returned the smile as she closed the door to her room.

It was their first night and last night together as Korra and Noatak, a bittersweet moment for both of them. They both knew Korra would have to become Korran again in the morning and Noatak would resume his role as a Captain. But for just one night, the two of them enjoyed each other's company away from the pending thought of war. They spent most of their night chatting which lead to kissing, then cuddling, and more kissing. They drifted off to sleep in each other's embrace. Noatak held her tight and whispered in her ear, "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I will protect you, always."

Mama Ahnah woke up in the middle of the night and found both of them cuddled up together in front of the fire now reduced to embers. It warmed Ahnah's heart and she went into Noatak's room and brought out some pelts to cover them. She was going to miss them since they needed to report back in the morning but she was assured to know that her eldest son was in good hands.


End file.
